Michael Brooke
Why would someone with a very limited social media footprint start a podcast and hope it grows organically?
Because it did.
Michael Brooke, who has a bachelor’s degree in Talmudic Studies and is continuing his education in Kollel, launched his Motivation Congregation’s Torah Podcast with Michael Brooke two years ago and he isn’t looking back.
“The motives behind the podcast are pretty surprising,” he says. “The Great Rav Yeruchom Levovitz, a spiritual dean and religious counselor during the roaring 20s, tells us that knowledge of oneself is the beginning of all wisdom. I recognized that if I relied upon my self-discipline to prolong my studies, they would not grow at the same rate as putting my honor on the line by publicly teaching it. I must know what I’m saying without any excuses. So I went as public as possible.”
On a weekly basis (sometimes more frequently for special days on the Jewish calendar), Brooke serves up his Torah musings which last about five or six minutes apiece. He also writes and produces a daily motivational podcast named The Motivation Congregation, which is even shorter. He plans his topics about a month in advance and every Sunday bulk records the seven different daily talks for the coming week.
Reaching 2,500 downloads in his first month was a great start toward his goal of 10K downloads per month, but he wants to go even higher. “The goal is to reach all Jews. That was Abraham’s goal; to bring the world to perfection, and I want to continue his legacy.”
Brooke has a growth model and plans to add a third podcast that will “dive deep into Torah wisdom and focus more on the inner workings of our minds, self-control, and unearthing your potential.”
His idea for a fourth podcast is to create a Jewish Daily Law (Halacha) stream. “This podcast will have a unique format. I will study one-on-one with a master of all the laws (posek) and record the study session with all the back and forth (pilpul), including questions in the final cut,” Brooke explains.
Brooke was raised in Ghent and attended Hebrew Academy of Tidewater and Toras Chaim for elementary school, followed by Yeshivas Aish Kodesh. After the 12th grade, he went to Lakewood, New Jersey, to study under Rebbe Nosson Stein for three years, and then he traveled to the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem where he studied under Rabbi Yoseph Elefant. When he returned to America to continue his studies, the pandemic broke out. Now married to Mattie Lefcoe, the couple and their daughter live in Lakewood, N.J.
Brooke describes the listener response to these podcasts as “outstanding” and “unimaginable.” People not only seem to enjoy the content, but he has heard back from his some who tell him they’ve made “concrete and noticeable changes” in their lives, which, he says, is the point of it all.
What would he like his prospective listeners to know?
“Judaism is a gift. It’s the best way to live life. While the world has changed and fulfillment of G-d’s Torah is more challenging than ever, it is still very possible. Each person has endless potential, and the wisdom of the Torah is the way to bring it out.”
To listen, visit https://podcasts.apple.com and search for Michael Brooke or by podcast name.
-Debbie Burke